The internet is up in a flurry after celebrity stylist (and celebrity in his own right) Law Roach announced his retirement from the fashion industry on Instagram. There are rumours and speculation piling up over the post, with people confused about the circumstances of his departure and saddened by the news. So, is this Roach's final farewell? For the time being, it seems like it really is the end. In an interview with The Cut, Roach spoke out about his retirement, the enormous pressures of the job and his next steps.
The announcement came in the form of an Instagram post on Tuesday, sharing the news and giving some context to his departure. Roach is known for being vocal about the politics of the fashion industry and the respect he expects from those he works with. The post read, “You win … I’m out,” on a post's caption. The image is of a stamped graphic of one word: retired. “The politics, the lies and false narratives finally got me.”
Roach began the interview by clearing things up. "I am definitely, 100,000 percent retiring. Nobody can say what’s forever and what will happen, but at this moment, and in my mind, I’m definitely retiring from celebrity styling." For those worried, he is exiting the industry entirely though, he had some reassuring words. "I’m not retiring from fashion, because I love it so much. But styling, in the way that I’ve been of service to other people, I’m retiring from that."
Law Roach is at the top of his game, with star-studded clientele including Megan Thee Stallion, Kerry Washington and most notably, Zendaya. His most recent triumphs are fresh in people's minds after he dressed Hunter Schafer in the gravity-defying Ann Demeulemeester two-piece for the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party. A look that was undoubtedly one of the most coveted of the whole evening. When asked "why now" by The Cut, he shared, "I haven’t been happy, honestly, in a really long time. And the culmination of everything that’s been happening in my career these last few days kind of just pushed me over the edge." He continued, "And it’s just like, You know what? I’ve done everything. I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to move and climb in this industry the way I have. But I can’t say that I didn’t do that without suffering."
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Many fans and friends from the industry reacted to the news, including, Samira Nasr, editor-in-chief at Harper’s Bazaar, Edward Enninful from British Vogue Michelle Visage and Christian Siriano. The post did spark some much-needed discussion about mental health in the industry.
Roach ended the interview on an optimistic note, "I know it’s only been a couple days, but I feel alive." He continued, "So I just, I just wanna breathe. I wanna fly; I wanna be happy. I wanna figure other things out. I think not doing that job is going to give me the time and an ability to just try some other stuff. And if I fail at everything else, then I fail at everything else. We know I’m a good stylist, so shit. I always got a job."
If you'd like to see the other looks from Vanity Fair's afterparty, read our roundup of the vintage fashion that dominated the night.
Image: Source
